A Rwandan Coffee Worthy of Attention

Friday, May 06, 2011

Posted by Leslie W., senior green coffee specialist

The coffees from Rwanda have been winning awards and capturing the attention of coffee enthusiasts around the world. We feel our latest Starbucks Reserve™ coffee, Rwanda Gakenke Fair Trade Certified™, is especially worthy of our attention – and yours too.

Gakenke is the district located in the central highlands of Rwanda’s Northern Province. The cooperative that provided this coffee is comprised of roughly 4,400 small holder farms. In that mix are about 300 women who contributed. It’s exciting to see more women smallholders emerging in a landscape traditionally held by men. It feels good knowing this coffee is a collaborative effort shared by community.

I have always loved the diversity of flavors from coffees of East Africa, and Rwanda has proven over time to be a coffee I look for and celebrate. Rwandan coffees often highlight a lemony acidity, with notes of red or dark fruit and sometimes chocolate.

This particular lot we darkened the roast ever so slightly to focus on the warmer, deeper notes in the coffee. It captures a delicate floral aroma that plays up to the layered flavors of chocolate, lemongrass and baking spices. The coffee is balanced and smooth. It invites you to linger and enjoy it and celebrate its flavors.